Whereas Brood XIX cicadas are beginning to decelerate within the South, Brood XIII is nearing peak emergence within the Midwest. The Chicago space is seeing huge teams of bugs emerge, and native information stations and residents have been sharing movies on-line. This week, Illinois anglers began constantly catching fish on cicada flies and lures, particularly smallmouth bass and carp.
As has been the case within the South, the Midwest is experiencing nice carp fishing. However the higher area of this historic cicada hatch can also be seeing river bronzebacks crush these large bugs on prime. We spoke with Jeremy Spaccapaniccia, proprietor of DuPage Fly Fishing Co. in Naperville, Illinois, about bug numbers and fish exercise. He and his guides are within the thick of the cicada motion, and he shared some ideas which have been serving to him land fish this week.
Area Report: Northeast Illinois
As floor temperatures lastly start to heat within the North, Brood XIII (a.ok.a. the Northern Illinois Brood) is rising all throughout the Midwest. Jeremy Spaccapaniccia, proprietor of DuPage Fly Fishing Co., says that the bugs are peaking proper now and that “the smallmouth are going nuts.” Spaccapaniccia and his group began seeing bugs about two weeks in the past, but it surely took a while for the bass and carp to begin feeding on them. “This week, bass are lining up and down the center of the river, selecting off cicadas as they go by.” Spaccapaniccia describes it virtually as a trout river, with smallmouth bass heads rising to take cicada after cicada.
As a largely heat water fly store, Spaccapaniccia and his group primarily focus their fishing efforts on smallmouth bass and carp. Much like the South, the carp fishing has been glorious as bugs proceed to hit the water. “Our diehard carp guys are having a ball proper now, and so they’re actively on the lookout for lips popping out of the water to eat cicadas,” he says. It is vitally a lot a sight fishing recreation with regards to chasing carp, and these fish are cruising close to the floor on the lookout for fallen bugs.
Spaccapaniccia anticipates one other two weeks of hard-eating fish. As soon as bugs cease falling into the water, he believes anglers will nonetheless be capable to idiot bass with cicada patterns for about one other week or so. However for proper now, the motion is sizzling. “I used to be fishing on Monday, and the smallmouth had been lined up in the midst of the river with heads arising all over the place,” he says. “It took a few weeks for them to begin on the lookout for the bugs, however proper now, the fish are consuming nothing however cicadas.”
Because the fly store title implies, Spaccapaniccia and his group fish the west and east branches of the DuPage River, in addition to the principle stem. In the course of the first week of June, the store began seeing bugs on the east department, however within the final week, the bugs have began to emerge extra west, and now all three our bodies of water are crammed with cicadas. In line with Spaccapaniccia, peak emergence is going on proper now. “Should you’re driving down the road, you’re smashing them anytime you go beneath timber,” he says. “It’s so noisy that you just don’t need to be exterior.”
Cicada Suggestions for Smallmouth Bass
Any overhanging brush is a superb place to focus on bass and carp ready for bugs to fall into the water. Nonetheless, river smallmouth are somewhat completely different for the reason that water acts as a conveyor belt, bringing the bugs proper to the fish. “Bass are far and wide proper now,” says Spaccapaniccia. “We noticed them lined up consuming in the midst of the river, like trout consuming flies—that is what we name a feed line.” Should you aren’t fortunate sufficient to come back throughout a “feed line,” goal banks, areas with overhanging brush, and any submerged or pure construction the place smallies may watch for bugs to drift by. Throw a cicada fly or topwater lure upstream and let it drift by way of.
So far as bugs go, practical cicada patterns, just like the Mission Cicada, will work greatest. “You need to splat the flies down on the water and simply give them somewhat wiggle, Spaccapaniccia says. “The fly ought to barely disturb the floor of the water, you don’t need any popping motion.” He additionally says that you just don’t need to be on the water tremendous early. It takes the bugs somewhat bit to begin singing and transferring. Anglers ought to begin fishing round mid-morning or as soon as the bugs are within the air and begin falling into the water. Prime time for the DuPage store has been round midday to nightfall.
Regardless, the very best time to fish is at any time when you may get on the water. However don’t wait too lengthy, Brood XIII cicadas will solely be rising for a pair extra weeks. Get in on the enjoyable now and go catch an enormous bronzeback.
